SUSSEX BOROUGH — Two weeks after casting the deciding vote to terminate the services of embattled former Borough Attorney John Ursin, Mayor Jonathan Rose plans to propose Tuesday that Ursin be reappointed in a limited capacity to address the borough’s redevelopment efforts along Route 23 and its efforts to collect more than $350,000 in delinquent sewerage fees from the failed High Ridge development in Hardyston.

Ursin, under criticism for not having disclosed his representation of former Mayor Chris Parrott’s Sussex Inn at the same time the borough was attempting to collect more than $100,000 of unpaid taxes and utility bills owed by the inn, was replaced Jan. 7 after members of the Borough Council were unable to come to an agreement on whether to reappoint him.

Rose, while praising Ursin’s overall work for the borough, has said previously that Ursin should have told borough officials of his intentions to represent the Sussex Inn and that his failure to do so contributed, at the very least, to the appearance of a conflict.

Rose has given no indication of backing away from that position but said retaining Ursin in a limited capacity was preferable to the cost of having a new attorney brought up to speed on legal matters already in progress — an argument made two weeks ago by Councilman Sal Lagattuta, among others, who was in favor of keeping Ursin.

“This all comes down to dollars and cents and is purely a financial decision,” Rose said. “I just don’t want to throw the taxpayers’ money away just because I’m unhappy with something Mr. Ursin did.”

But before following through on his recommendation, Rose said he intends to seek assurances from Ursin that neither he nor his firm is representing any other clients whose interests could conflict with the borough’s, particularly in its efforts to rehabilitate the portion of Walling Avenue that will become Route 23 South.

Ursin, in addition to representing the Sussex Inn, has also represented Sussex Motorports, both of which were involved in financial negotiations with the state Department of Transportation over land taken from them as part of the Route 23 reconstruction project. The Sussex Inn, however, lies outside the borough’s designated rehabilitation area, and Sussex Motorsports is located just over the border in Wantage.

For their part, borough officials have made clear that they do not intend to condemn any properties as part of the rehabilitation process, though they do plan on offering tax incentives in an effort to draw new business to the area.

But Councilwoman Linda Masson, who has been calling for Ursin’s removal since his role in the Sussex Inn matter first came to light, vowed to oppose efforts to retain him in any capacity, no matter limited.

“You can’t put a price tag on ethics,” Masson said, adding that she was concerned keeping Ursin in any capacity could be seen as undermining the new borough attorney before he even has a chance to get started.

Masson said if she is unsuccessful in presenting her arguments Tuesday, she intends to seek clarification regarding the contract proposal with Ursin under review. The proposal, as written, states he can be retained not only for the legal matters already identified but also for “any other issue assigned by the Mayor.”

Rose said any final agreement would have to be consistent with whatever resolution gets passed by the council. Masson, however, still said she would seek to have any open-ended language stricken from the final agreement.

Rose said he understands Masson’s concerns and hopes she articulates them when the council meets on Tuesday.

“That’s part of representative democracy,” Rose said. “I don’t hold that against her, and I do understand where she’s coming from.”

But newly appointed Council President Marina Krynicky has shown no hint of backing away from comments she made two weeks ago, when she castigated Masson for costing the borough money because of “attacks on our attorneys and our residents.”

Krynicky has since clarified that by “attorneys,” she meant Ursin. Krynicky also explained that by “residents,” she meant ex-Mayor Chris Parrott, the owner of the Sussex Inn.

“That’s her (Marina) trying to deflect attention from the real problem,” Masson replied. “It’s not the first time she’s tried to put the blame on me when I’m the one trying to clean up what’s going on in this town.”

Masson had originally called for Ursin to be fired in October, shortly after the Herald first reported his role in the Sussex Inn matter.

Krynicky, at the time, responded by accusing Masson of attempting to “run the town through the newspaper.”

Neither the mayor nor members of the council had been aware until then of Ursin’s representation of the Sussex Inn.

In November, a Sparta investor who had previously expressed interest in purchasing a borough-held lien on the inn filed an ethics complaint against Ursin. The state Office of Attorney Ethics is reviewing that complaint.